Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: vice

One of the first printed records about this gate stated in 1859 "Of all old monuments in the Rhine valley, none as mysterious as the portal (...) near the church in Remagen". The Pfarrhoftor (= Gateway to the parish close) still is enigmatic. It may have been erected for a nearby monastery, that centered around an St. Apollinaris shrine, it may have been in deed a gate to a parish close. Actually it known since the 17th century, when parts of it were found, walled in between the rectory and the encircling wall. The parts were recovered and like pieces of a puzzle joined together. Though the cope stone was lost, the large arch was easy to reconstruct. Wether the smaller side portal originally was left or right is unclear. The 22 carved reliefs here have triggered more than a dozend different theories. I will quote some. The carving style was not appreciated by the art-historians. Already Wilhelm Bode ("Geschichte der Deutschen Plastik") wrote in 1887 that the carver was "without any artistic ambition". For me this portal has parallels in Linden and Goegging. All three portals are roughly carved - and enigmatic, blending christian, pagan and ancient icons. The only point, that is undisputed is, that the portal was erected in the second half of the 12th century. In 1902, when the neo-Romanesque church St. Peter and Paul was erected, the Pfarrhoftor got placed here, next to the new church. A person equipped with helmet, shield and spear standing / posing on the bones of an slaughtered enemy. This may be St. Michael, triumphing over the dragon (with a human face), but there are no wings, no nimbus. For church historian Dr. Koeniger (1947) the icon offers criticism to the knighthood, as the person defiles the bones of an enemy. Or is this virtue triumphing over vice..? Or David (Humalitas) and Goliath (Superbia)? Undisputed is that the triumphator wears a garment, that was widely used by the nobility within the 12th century.

Fenioux, a small village with a population of less than 200, has this wonderful parish church "Notre-Dame de l’Assomption". Once the church was dedicated to "Saint-Savinien" and "Saint Pierre". It was built in the 12th century, about the same time, when Aulnay (27kms northeast) was under construction. The church was erected over a Carolingian oratory from the 9th century, of which some parts were integrated into the new building - and so still exist around the choir. The large, western facade, with its five archivolts is breathtaking. Though vandalized during the Wars of Religion and the French Revolution, when many sculptures here lost their heads, this is still extraordenary. There are five semicircular archivolts. The second archivolt has the virtues defeating the vices. On the right a vice is trampled down by a (headless) virtue and killed by a spear, that lancinates his head. The obvious defencelessness of the nude, dying person adds a flavour of excessive violence to the scene. The large angel on the left archivolt comments this by swinging a censer.

Fenioux, a small village with a population of less than 200, has this wonderful parish church "Notre-Dame de l’Assomption". Once the church was dedicated to "Saint-Savinien" and "Saint Pierre". It was built in the 12th century, about the same time, when Aulnay (27kms northeast) was under construction. The church was erected over a Carolingian oratory from the 9th century, of which some parts were integrated into the new building - and so still exist around the choir. The large, western facade, with its five archivolts is breathtaking. Though vandalized during the Wars of Religion and the French Revolution, when many sculptures here lost their heads, this is still extraordenary. There are five semicircular archivolts. The second archivolt has the virtues defeating the vices. Here a vice gets killed by a virtue´s sword, The body of the vice is pierced by the blade. The carving style is very expressive for a Romanesque work, even for a carving done in the last quarter of the 12th century. The skinny, long haired vice is depicted in the death-struggle.